Those of our faithful readers who have followed the various posts on the Gladiator thread, will know that I have had one or several re-thinks on the subject and some (including me...) will have been no doubt frustrated by an evident lack of progress towards the production of the sheets.

Well I'm delighted to say that the first sets (in 48th scale) have now gone off for printing and they will be available from us at Telford.

In the end I went for three sets and these first volumes all focus on pre-war and (for the RAF) pre-camouflage subjects:

Each set will include full and accurate stencil decals for three aircraft (more than thirty items for each) and correctly sized and shaped serials as well as cockades for two machines on the RAF sets (additional cockades will be available at a later date).

I'll be posting the artwork, profiles, prices and pre-order offers in the next few days in a new thread.

For adherents to the other two major scales I'm pleased to say that these decals in both 72nd and 32nd (for Silver Wings beautiful resin kit) will also be coming before too long.

Hawker Demon

The next subject is the Hawker Demon, to support John Adams' mouthwatering new 48th scale kit, due to be released at Telford next month. Whilst our decals unfortunately won't quite make it to Telford, they will be out soon and we will be taking pre-orders when we've posted the artwork, profiles etc here, in the run up to the show.

Two sets, imaginatively titled RAF Vol.1 and 2 will be the first releases. As for the Gladiator they will all be for pre-war/pre-camouflage subjects. All the major operating squadrons and their rainbow liveries are represented: 23, 29, 64, 600 & 604, on vol.1 and 65, 74, 601, 607 & 608 on vol.2. As the Aeroclub kit decals will include a full set of stencils and roundels designed by us and printed by Fantasy Printshop, the colours and quality of the kit decals and our aftermarket ones will be to the same high standards. This has enabled us to keep costs down to some degree (there are ten colours on the sheets!) and to include nine subjects on Vol.1 and eight on Vol.2.

72nd scale versions will follow shortly and as soon as some enterprising manufacturer releases a kit in 32nd, rest assured that we will follow suit with decals!

Gloster Gauntlet

The finishing touches are now being made to a further two sets for the lovely Gauntlet, along the same lines as the above - all RAF prewar/pre-camo. As for the Demon, we are covering all the major operating squadrons: 17, 19, 32, 46, 54, 56, 65, 66, 74, 79111, 151 & 213. Due to a paucity of good photographs, some of these markings are, to a degree, specualtive but we hope as accurate as available information allows. There are still a couple of weeks left before these are finalised, so if anyone has access to photos of 32, 46,65 and 79 squadron's Gauntlets in particular (and of course the top wing of a 74 sqn machine....), we'd love to see them and any close-ups of stencil markings would also be very welcome!!

In 72nd scale the Aeroclub and AZ Model Gauntlets are just begging for these markings, so they will also be coming soon - and of course a 32nd kit will provoke a set or two in that scale, as soon as we have one!

Other subjects

Markings for the Hawker HindHART (Edit I have a mental block about these two - always get them the wrong way round!), particularly for the Silver Wings 32nd kit but also in 72nd scale, are in the works and preliminary work is in hand for a set of markings for a certain elegant French monoplane fighter of 1934 vintage and we also hope to extend the range into pre-war naval aircraft in due course.

The drabbing down of the RAF's beautiful silver machines, following the Munich crises of September 1938 was sad but inevitable and although not as "pretty" as the earlier markings, I know that there is interest in sets of decals for this period and they, too, will get the treatment in the coming months. I think it is inevitable that this will lead onto wartime markings for these aircraft and Australian target tug Demons, Dessert war Gladiators and East African Gauntlets will all feature in the future. Much work has already been done on decals for the fabric-winged Hurricane Mk.1 and these will be amongst the first of the "transitional period" markings, including the Battle of France.

There is a rich vein to be explored with the various regional conflicts leading up to the Second Unpleasantness, Manchuria, Khalkhin Gol/Nomonhan and the Spanish Civil War, all hold a high measure of interest.

In all of this, the First World War modeller is not being neglected, so no need for any disquiet! The long-awaited 32nd scale SSW D.III set for the Roden kit and those in 32nd and 48th for the Pfalz D.XII from Wingnut Wings and Special Hobby,will be released in the next week or two and the first 48th scale Jasta 5 and the two Jasta 18 sets (in 72nd and 48th) will be released at Telford.

Resin parts for the WNW RE8 are coming in the next few days from Brian Fawcett and these will be followed up with decals which will include some colourful training machines, soon afterwards. The Hanriot HD1 in Italian service (at last!) in 72nd and 48th (please someone, let's have a 32nd kit!) are also close to being ready and the Gotha G.IV set for Wingnut's wonderful kit will launch at around the same time.

Gas Patch Models ( http://www.gaspatchmodels.com/ ) recently announced 1/48th Salmson 2A2 will be a wonderful kit (particularly so, knowing that the super-talented modeller, Costas Patsaros is the man behind this new company) and this is another subject which we have been working towards for some months - some beautiful schemes for it have already been drawn and others are in preparation.

I haven't forgotten the Nieuport fighters........... or the Camels....... or the other lozenge sets!

With all this going on, some might think that we've given up on the 32nd Tamiya Mustang project - not a bit of it! I expect to have the first resin parts for the underwing rocket stubs here in the next few days from Brian and the decals will follow on soon.

So a fair amount to digest there, but I'd love to hear reactions and other ideas for the future.

I wuld certainly buy the Demon with 607 sq were it released in 1/72. I would only plead that you do not follow Richard Caruana and Extradecal's example: the squadron colours are mauve and stone, NOT red and yellow.

Dave, always happy to prise money from a Scot's steely grip! Yes, I'm going for as many of the Hart Squadrons as I can. The Hind might come later with Audax etc.

Cheers Colin, desperate to get a fondle of the Camel without its hump at Telford.

Yes Antoine, the WNW Salmson has been on the drawing board for some time, Can't wait! I know, I know.... working on a website, promise! The D.XII booklet is nearly done so they'll be out very soon.

I wuld certainly buy the Demon with 607 sq were it released in 1/72. I would only plead that you do not follow Richard Caruana and Extradecal's example: the squadron colours are mauve and stone, NOT red and yellow.

Almost agree with you Graham, but I have 604 as Dark Red and Stone and 607 as Mauve and Stone - but I'm sure you knew that and were just testing! We also have 608 as black and turquoise - which looks very pretty!

I remember the Red/Yellow thing from the old Airfix kit wrapper. I think the trouble started with the Ducimus Booklet by James Goulding and Richard L Ward - they described the colours correctly in the text, but perhaps due to printing restrictions of the day (not sure of the date as it isn't mentioned in the booklet but my copy has the price as 6s or 30np, so must have been around decimalisation... 1970?) the colour drawing of K4500 of 604 had much more of a red and yellow look -although if compared to the red on the fury in the painting above it, there is a definite difference, but a casual glance sees red/yellow. I've had endless "fun" with the Pantone book trying to find matches - reasonably happy with what we've gone for, though - I hope you will be.

You're not Scottish Ollie, but I'll take anyone's money, any time - I'm easy, me.

You're not Scottish Ollie, but I'll take anyone's money, any time - I'm easy, me.

This list alone has me drooling and wondering what i can sell to make more funds for decals alone. Between yourself Wingnut Wings, Silver Wings and Aeroclub you could keep me a happy modeller for a long time to come.

Almost agree with you Graham, but I have 604 as Dark Red and Stone and 607 as Mauve and Stone - but I'm sure you knew that and were just testing! We also have 608 as black and turquoise - which looks very pretty!

Er, no, I must admit that I didn't know that about 604, and find it interesting that another unit used Stone. "plain" red and Yellow were (are?) used by one of the RAF's fighter squadrons, I risk to say without checking first! I do remember the thread about 608. I now await with some interest which version of Mauve you have chosen - it seems logical to me that it would have been the Palatine Purple of Durham University, but we've had a thread on that and no hard conclusion could be reached.

The decals are nice but the 601 Squadron Demon needs revising. 601 used a half height bar (red and black triangles) for their Demons and not the full bar as you have shown. There's a nice photo of the aircraft you represent on the 601 Squadron website. When will the 1/72nd sheets be available?

The decals are nice but the 601 Squadron Demon needs revising. 601 used a half height bar (red and black triangles) for their Demons and not the full bar as you have shown. There's a nice photo of the aircraft you represent on the 601 Squadron website. When will the 1/72nd sheets be available?

Hello Christopher - disregard the PM- I've now found a couple of photos which illustrate your point - have now amended the decals and artwork - luckily before printing. Very grateful for your input!

Rowan, I'm really looking forward to all of the between the wars silver wings decals. Is there any chance you will be expanding your line to include Bristol Bulldog and Fairey Fox? Particularly in 1/48th scale for the old line of Pyro/Lifelike/Lindberg kits?